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Martin Short
| birth_place = Hamilton, Ontario, Canada | nationality = Canadian American | alma_mater = McMaster University | active = 1972–present | medium = Stand-up, film, television, theatre | genre = Improvisational comedy, surreal humour, musical comedy, physical comedy, sketch comedy, character comedy, satire | subject = Canadian culture, American culture, current events, pop culture, human sexuality | spouse = | children = 3 | footnotes = }} Martin Hayter Short (born March 26, 1950) is a Canadian-American comedian, actor, singer and writer. He is known for his work on the television programs SCTV and Saturday Night Live. He has starred in comedy films, such as Three Amigos (1986), Innerspace (1987), Three Fugitives (1989), Father of the Bride (1991), Pure Luck (1991), Captain Ron (1992), Father of the Bride Part II (1995), Mars Attacks! (1996), and Jungle 2 Jungle (1997), and created the characters, Jiminy Glick and Ed Grimley. In 1999, he won a Tony Award for his lead performance in a Broadway revival of Little Me. Early life Short was born in Hamilton, Ontario, the youngest of five children of Olive Grace (née Hayter; 1913–68), a concertmistress of the Hamilton Symphony Orchestra, and Charles Patrick Short (1909–70), a corporate executive with Stelco, a Canadian steel company. He and his siblings were raised as Catholics. He had three older brothers, David (now deceased), Michael, and Brian, and one older sister, Nora. Short's father was an Irish Catholic emigrant from Crossmaglen, South Armagh, who came to North America as a stowaway during the Irish War of Independence."Martin Short Biography" Hello Magazine, accessed August 26, 2013"Profile", The Toronto Star Short's mother was of English and Irish descent. She encouraged his early creative endeavours. His eldest brother, David, was killed in a car accident in Montréal, Québec, in 1962 when Short was 12. His mother died of cancer in 1968, his father two years later of complications from a stroke. Short attended Westdale Secondary School and graduated from McMaster University with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Social Work in 1971. Career Early career When Short graduated from McMaster University, he intended to pursue a career in social work; however, he became interested in acting once he was cast in a Toronto production of Godspell that same year. Among other members of that production's cast were Victor Garber, Gilda Radner, Eugene Levy, Dave Thomas, and Andrea Martin; Paul Shaffer was the musical director."Martin Short Milestones at TCM" tcm.com, accessed August 26, 2013 He was subsequently cast in several television shows and plays, including the drama Fortune and Men's Eyes (1972). He worked solely in Canada through 1979. In 1979, Short starred in the US sitcom The Associates about a group of young novice lawyers working at a Wall Street law firm. In 1980, he joined the cast of I'm a Big Girl Now, a sitcom starring Diana Canova and Danny Thomas.0/Martin-Short/biography.html "Martin Short Biography at TCM" tcm.com, accessed August 26, 2013 Canova was offered the sitcom because of her success playing Corinne Tate Flotsky on ABC's Soap and left Soap shortly before Short's newlywed wife Nancy Dolman joined it. ''SCTV'' Short was encouraged to pursue comedy by McMaster classmates Eugene Levy and Dave Thomas, whom he joined in the improvisation group The Second City in Toronto, OntarioMartin Short's Autobiography "I Must Say" in 1977. He came to public notice when the group produced a show for television, Second City Television or SCTV, which ran for several years in Canada, then the United States. Short appeared on SCTV in 1982–83. At SCTV, Short developed several characters before moving on to Saturday Night Live for the 1984–85 season: * Talk show host Brock Linehan, based on the Canadian interviewer Brian Linehan * Aged songwriter Irving Cohen, commonly thought to be loosely based on American composers Irving Caesar and/or Irving Berlin, but actually (according to Short in his autobiography) inspired by Sophie Tucker * Entertainer Jackie Rogers, Jr. * Current-events commentator Troy Soren * Industrialist and art patron Bradley P. Allen * Defense attorney Nathan Thurm * Oddball man-child Ed Grimley, later featured on SNL and in his own short-lived animated television series in 1989 titled The Completely Mental Misadventures of Ed Grimley, the only animated series adapted from an SCTV character and a Saturday Night Live character. ''Saturday Night Live'' Short joined Saturday Night Live for the 1984–85 season."Martin Short Characters, Impressions and Guest Appearances" snl.jt.org, accessed August 25, 2013 He helped revive the show with his many characters for season ten (the last one produced by Dick Ebersol). "Short's appearance on SNL helped to revive the show's fanbase, which had flagged after the departure of Eddie Murphy, and in turn, would launch his successful career in films and television." His SNL characters included numerous holdovers from his SCTV days. He also did impressions of such celebrities as Jerry Lewis and Katharine Hepburn. Television In addition to his work on SCTV and SNL, Short has starred in several television specials and series of his own. In 1985, Short starred in the one-hour Showtime special, Martin Short: Concert for the North Americas."Martin Short Concert For the North Americas" tcm.com, accessed August 26, 2013 This was Short's first live concert, interspersed with studio sketches and a wraparound featuring Jackie Rogers Jr. Co-produced by the CBC, this aired as The Martin Short Comedy Special in Canada in March 1986. In 1989, Short headlined another one-hour comedy special, this time for HBO, I, Martin Short, Goes Hollywood, Short's classic send-up of all things Hollywood. It featured many of his characters including Ed Grimley and Jackie Rogers Jr."I, Martin Short, Goes Hollywood" tcm.com, accessed August 26, 2013 Short has had three television shows called The Martin Short Show, including a sitcom, The Martin Short Show, 1994; a sketch comedy show, The Show Formerly Known as the Martin Short Show, 1995; and a syndicated talk show The Martin Short Show, which ran from 1999 to 2000."Martin Short Biography" movies.yahoo.com (googleusercontent.com), accessed August 26, 2013 Short starred as Jiminy Glick on Comedy Central's Primetime Glick (2001–03). He interviewed performers and celebrities as the character Jiminy Glick.Hernandez, Ernio. "Brooks, Alexander, Mullally Among Stars to Appear on Martin Short's 'Primetime Glick' " playbill.com, April 15, 2003 The New York Times in 2002 referred to the character as "the most unpredictable and hilariously uninhibited comic creation to hit TV since Bart Simpson was in diapers." In addition to his own series, Short has guest starred on several shows including Arrested Development (episode titled "Ready, Aim, Marry Me", 2005), Muppets Tonight (1996)," 'Muppets Tonight' Martin Short" tv.com, accessed August 26, 2013 Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, and Weeds. He joined the FX drama Damages as lawyer Leonard Winstone in 2010.Clark, Cindy. "Something new for Short: A regular TV role on 'Damages'" USA Today, January 24, 2010 Short voiced the Cat in the Hat in the animated TV series The Cat in the Hat Knows a Lot About That!, which aired in the US, Canada, and the UK from 2010 to 2013.Valiquette, Mike. "Press release: Daytime Emmy noms for Canadian-produced 'Cat in the Hat'" May 11, 2011 He later voiced the character in a number of related TV specials in 2014 and 2016. He shot a new comedy special for television in Toronto in September 2011. The special, I, Martin Short, Goes Home follows Martin's return to his native Hamilton, Ontario and has a cast that includes Eugene Levy, Andrea Martin, Joe Flaherty, and Fred Willard. The special aired on CBC Television on April 3, 2012, and garnered Short a nomination for Best Lead Actor in a Comedy Program or Series at the 1st Canadian Screen Awards. In 2011, Short joined the cast of How I Met Your Mother for its seventh season, playing Marshall Eriksen's manic boss and was a judge on the first and only season of Canada's Got Talent (2012).Harris, Bill. "More 'Talent' judges announced" Toronto Sun, October 17, 2011 He, along with Steve Martin and Chevy Chase appeared on an episode of Saturday Night Live as part of the "Five-Timers Club", on March 9, 2013, which included those actors who had hosted the show five or more times. However, Short appeared as a waiter, as he had only hosted twice."Cast, March 9, 2013 Saturday Night Live" imdb, accessed August 26, 2013Johnson, Zach. "Justin Timberlake" US Magazine, March 10, 2013 From 2014 to 2015, he starred in the Fox sitcom, Mulaney, as Lou Cannon, the boss and the game show host of the title character John Mulaney. On May 31, 2016, Martin Short debuted a new variety show on NBC, Maya & Marty. In the initial show, Martin revived his Jiminy Glick character, his costar Maya Rudolph spoofed an American cooking show and in a skit poking fun at American politics, Miley Cyrus sang "I'm the Man" followed by a duet with Rudolph of "I'm a W-O-M-A-N." The show finished with a performance by the Shuffle Along dance troupe. Film After doing sketch comedy for several years, Short starred in Three Amigos, Innerspace, The Big Picture, Captain Ron, Clifford, Three Fugitives (1989), directed by Francis Veber, with Nick Nolte and James Earl Jones, the 1991 remake of Father of the Bride and its sequel, and in Pure Luck (1991), directed by Nadia Tass, with Danny Glover and Sheila Kelley."Martin Short Filmography" movies.nytimes.com, accessed August 25, 2013 , 2006]] In 1996, he appeared in Tim Burton's sci-fi comedy ''Mars Attacks! as lascivious Press Secretary Jerry Ross. In 1997, he appeared as Wall Street broker Richard Kempster in Jungle 2 Jungle, with Tim Allen.Deming, Mark. " 'Jungle 2 Jungle' Overview" movies.nytimes.com (Rovi), accessed August 25, 2013 In 2004, he wrote and starred in Jiminy Glick in Lalawood with Jan Hooks as his wife, Dixie Glick.Holden, Steven." 'Jiminy Glick in Lalawood' Overview" movies.nytimes.com, accessed August 25, 2013 In 2006, he starred in another movie with Tim Allen, The Santa Clause 3: The Escape Clause.Dargis, Manola. " 'The Santa Clause 3: The Escape Clause' Review" movies.nytimes.com, accessed August 25, 2013 Short also provided the voices of several animated film characters, such as Stubbs in We're Back! A Dinosaur's Story (1993), Hubie in The Pebble and the Penguin (1995), Huy in The Prince of Egypt (1998) (alongside Steve Martin as Hotep), Ooblar in Jimmy Neutron: Boy Genius (2001), B.E.N. in Treasure Planet (2002), Thimbletack the Brownie in The Spiderwick Chronicles (2008), Stefano the sea lion in Madagascar 3: Europe's Most Wanted (2012),Kennedy, Lisa. "Movie review: "Madagascar 3: Europe's Most Wanted" delights as furry friends and a frenzied foes return" Denver Post, June 4, 2012 Kurokawa in the English dub of Hayao Miyazaki's The Wind Rises (2013), and The Jester in Legends of Oz: Dorothy's Return (2014). Short is the host of a Walt Disney World attraction, O Canada!, a Circle-Vision 360° film at Walt Disney World's Epcot theme park.https://disneyworld.disney.go.com/attractions/epcot/o-canada/ He also hosted the now-defunct show "The Making of Me" at Epcot's Wonders of Life pavilion, a 15-minute movie about how pregnancy occurs.https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=EZhnqkL8tCQ/ Stage Short resumed work in the theatre, playing a lead role in the 1993 musical version of the Neil Simon film The Goodbye Girl, on Broadway, receiving a Tony Award nomination and an Outer Critics Circle Award."Internet Broadway Database listing, 'The Goodbye Girl'" Internet Broadway Database, retrieved May 21, 2010Rich, Frank."Review/Theater; How Far Two Good Sports Will Go", The New York Times, March 5, 1993"Martin Short Broadway Credits and Awards" playbillvault.com, accessed November 6, 2016 He had the lead role in the 1999 Broadway revival of the musical Little Me, for which he received a Tony Award and another Outer Critics Circle Award.Haun, Harry."Little Me Gives Martin Short His 3rd Neil Simon Role" playbill.com, September 14, 1998McGrath, Sean."1999 Tony Winner: Martin Short (Leading Actor, Musical, Little Me)" playbill.com, June 6, 1999"Internet Broadway database listing, 'Little Me'" Internet Broadway Database, retrieved May 21, 2010 In 2003, Short took to the stage once again in the critically acclaimed Los Angeles run of The Producers. Short played the role of the accountant, Leo Bloom, opposite Jason Alexander's Max Bialystock.Jones, Kenneth."Alexander and Short Join Producers Tour in San Fran, April 21–26 Before L.A. Sitdown" March 25, 2003Perlmutter, Sharon."Review: The Producers" in Los Angeles talkinbroadway.com, retrieved May 21, 2010 Although the role of Leo Bloom was originated on Broadway by Matthew Broderick, Mel Brooks first approached Short about doing the part opposite Nathan Lane."Break a Leg: The Producers Opens at Bway's St. James, April 19" , playbill.com, April 19, 2001 On the subject, Short has stated in numerous interviews that, while he was thrilled by the opportunity, the idea of having to move his family from their Los Angeles home to New York for a year was less than ideal and ultimately proved a deal-breaker. Short performed in his satirical one-man show, with a cast of six, Martin Short: Fame Becomes Me, at the Bernard B. Jacobs Theatre on Broadway. The show toured several cities in the spring of 2006, prior to opening on Broadway in August 2006; the show closed in January 2007. In it, he performed his classic characters Grimley, Cohen, and Glick.Simonson, Robert. "Ensemble for Martin Short's New Broadway Show Announced" playbill.com, March 24, 2006Brantley, Ben."Review:'Fame Becomes Me' " The New York Times, August 18, 2006 [http://www.broadwayworld.com/viewcolumn.cfm?colid=11626 "Photo Coverage: Martin Short: Fame Becomes Me Opens"] BroadwayWorld.com As Glick, Short brought a member of the audience (usually a celebrity) on stage and interviewed him or her. Jerry Seinfeld was the guest on opening night. The show also featured parodies of many celebrities including Celine Dion, Katharine Hepburn, Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton, Tommy Tune, Joan Rivers, Britney Spears, Ellen DeGeneres, Renée Zellweger, Jodie Foster, Rachael Ray, and Short's wife, actress Nancy Dolman. The cast album was released on April 10, 2007, and is available from Ghostlight Records, an imprint of Sh-K-Boom Records.Gans, Andrew."Fame Undone: Martin Short Show Closes on Broadway Jan. 7" playbill.com, January 7, 2007 Short has continued to tour in his one-man show, which features many of his best-loved characters and sketches."STG Presents Martin Short, October 3, 2013" Seattle Theatre Group, accessed August 26, 2013 In addition to Fame Becomes Me, some titles that Short has used for his one-man show include Stroke Me Lady Fame, If I'd Saved, I Wouldn't Be Here, and Sunday in the Park with George Michael.Leggett, Page. " 'An Evening with Martin Short' ", Weekend Top Picks for March 30-April 1" Charlotte Magazine, March 28, 2012 Short's memoir, covering his 40-year career in show business, I Must Say: My Life As a Humble Comedy Legend, was released on November 4, 2014. Personal life Family Short met Canadian comic actress Nancy Dolman in 1972 during the run of Godspell. The couple married in 1980. Dolman retired from show business in 1985 to be a stay-at-home mom and raise her family. Short and Dolman adopted three children: Katherine (b. 1983), Oliver (b. 1986), and Henry (b. 1989). Dolman died on August 21, 2010, from ovarian cancer. Short and his family make their home in Pacific Palisades, California. He also has a home on Lake Rosseau in Ontario. He is a naturalized US citizen. Short has two stars on Canada's Walk of Fame. His brother, Michael is a comedy writer and twice winner of the Emmy Award for comedy sketch writing. Extended family Dolman's brother, screenwriter/director Bob Dolman, (who served as a part of SCTV's Emmy-winning writing team alongside Short), married their close friend and colleague Andrea Martin, also in 1980. Dolman and Short are aunt and uncle to the couple's two sons, Jack and Joe. Bob Dolman and Martin have since divorced. Short is a first cousin of Clare Short, a former member of the British Parliament and former British cabinet minister. Philanthropy Short appeared in a 2001 episode on the Celebrity ''Who Wants to Be a Millionaire'' hosted by Regis Philbin, winning $32,000 for his charity, Loyola High School. Short has actively campaigned for the Women's Research Cancer Fund, and he accepted a "Courage Award" on behalf of his late wife at a 2011 gala by the group."Martin Short to Accept Award" huffingtonpost.com, February 4, 2011 Short is also a member of the Canadian charity Artists Against Racism. http://artistsagainstracism.org/artists/ Politics Short is known for being critical of U.S. President Donald Trump. In an interview for The Daily Beast, he said that Trump's presidency is not even a presidency and that it is a "typo". He equated Trump with former U.S. Senator Joseph McCarthy and his McCarthyism. Filmography Film Television Comedy Specials Video games Theatre Books * I Must Say: My Life as a Humble Comedy Legend (2014, autobiography) ]] Awards and honours * 1982: Nelly Award: Outstanding Writing, SCTV Comedy Network * 1983: Emmy Award for Outstanding Writing in a Variety or Music Program, SCTV Comedy Network * 1993: Outer Critics Circle Award: Outstanding Actor in a Musical, The Goodbye Girl * 1993: Theater World Award * 1993: Nominated for Tony Award for Best Actor in a Musical, The Goodbye Girl * 1994: Member of the Order of Canada * 1995: Earl Grey Lifetime Achievement Award * 1999: Sir Peter Ustinov Award awarded at the Banff Television Festival * 1999: Outer Critics Circle Award: Outstanding Actor in a Musical, Little Me * 1999: Tony Award for Best Actor in a Musical, Little Me * 2000: Canada's Walk of Fame * 2001: Awarded honorary Doctor of Literature from McMaster University * 2002: Queen Elizabeth II Golden Jubilee Medal * 2010: Nominated for Emmy Awards for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series, Damages * 2010: Nominated for Satellite Awards for Best Actor in a Supporting Role in a Series, Damages * 2011: Nominated for Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Performer In An Animated Program, The Cat in the Hat Knows a Lot About That! * 2012: Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal * 2015: A stamp issued by Canada Post * 2016: Canadian Screen Awards Lifetime Achievement Award * 2017: Canadian Screen Awards: Best Performance in an animated program or series, The Cat in the Hat Knows a Lot About Camping! * 2018: Nominated - Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Writing for a Variety Special * 2018: Nominated - Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Variety Special Footnotes Further reading * David Camp, "The Cat's Meow: Martin Short has never carried a hit movie or a long-running sitcom. Early on, he despaired at being left behind by friends such as Paul Shaffer, Gilda Radner, and Bill Murray. But at 62 he stands alone in the comedy firmament, adored by Hollywood’s elite as the funniest, nicest, best of them all," Vanity Fair, January 2013. * External links * in 2004 * * Martin Short at Internet Off-Broadway Database * * Martin Short at Godspell.ca * Northern Stars: Martin Short }} Category:1950 births Category:Living people Category:20th-century Canadian male actors Category:21st-century Canadian male actors Category:21st-century Canadian non-fiction writers Category:American impressionists (entertainers) Category:American male film actors Category:American male musical theatre actors Category:American male stage actors Category:American male voice actors Category:American memoirists Category:American people of English descent Category:American people of Irish descent Category:American sketch comedians Category:American television personalities Category:Canadian impressionists (entertainers) Category:Canadian male film actors Category:Canadian male musical theatre actors Category:Canadian male stage actors Category:Canadian male video game actors Category:Canadian male voice actors Category:Canadian memoirists Category:Canadian people of English descent Category:Canadian people of Irish descent Category:Canadian sketch comedians Category:Canadian television personalities Category:Comedians from Ontario Category:Male actors from Hamilton, Ontario Category:McMaster University alumni Category:Members of the Order of Canada Category:Participants in Canadian reality television series Category:Primetime Emmy Award winners Category:Tony Award winners Category:Writers from Hamilton, Ontario Category:People with acquired American citizenship Category:Canadian Screen Award winning people